Kate Dadachova Lab Advancing Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

USask Researcher Receives Fedoruk Centre Grant to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

Research aimed at improving treatments for pancreatic cancer is receiving new support after Kate Dadachova and her laboratory were awarded a research grant from the Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation. The project, titled “Novel macrocyclic peptides for radioligand therapy of pancreatic cancer,” received $81,893 in funding.

The grant supports innovative research that advances the understanding and application of nuclear medicine. As part of the funding, the project will contribute to local, national, and international knowledge in the field and will acknowledge the support of the Fedoruk Centre and Innovation Saskatchewan in related publications and outreach activities.

The research aligns with the Fedoruk Centre’s mission to expand the use of nuclear science to improve health outcomes. By supporting work in radiopharmaceuticals and medical imaging, the project contributes to ongoing efforts to advance cancer care in Saskatchewan.

As of early 2026, Ekaterina Dadachova, PhD, has taken over as the Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals.

Dadachova’s laboratory has pioneered the treatment of infectious diseases including fungal and bacterial infections and HIV with radiolabeled antibodies (so called radioimmunotherapy). Her other research interests are radioimmunotherapy of melanoma, blood cancers and osteosarcoma as well as the development of melanin-based radioprotectors for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, soldiers on the battlefield and astronauts in space. She has an active research program which is  funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Saskatchewan Health Research Fund (SHRF),  Canadian Space Agency (CSA), United States Department of Defense, National Institutes of  Health (NIH),  and pharmaceutical industry. In 2020 she was recognized with a Distinguished Researcher Award by U of S.